Press release

"Fashion Star" season 2: Pictured from left are mentors Jessica Simpson, John Varvatos and Nicole Ritchie and hosts Louise Roe. The show airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC. (photo by Brian Bowen Smith/NBC)

Retailers
Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Express pledged $855,000 toward seven
"showstopping" designs featured in the season two debut

Winning
purchases are immediately available online at the retailers'
websites

NBC
premiered the second season of its reality competition show "Fashion
Star" last Friday (March 8). Twelve designers prepared for their
first challenge, which was to design a "showstopping" garment
that would wow the buyers - Caprice Willard of Macy's, Terron
Schaefer of Saks Fifth Avenue and Erika DeSalvatore of Express. Seven
designs were purchased with a total of $855,000 pledged by the
retailers.

Dallas-based
designer Amber Perley started off the night with a big vote of
confidence from Express for her mod flare dress and Milan-based
designer Silvia Arguello impressed Saks Fifth Avenue with her
coat-dress. Daniel Silverstein also impressed Saks Fifth Avenue with
his cocktail dress and Johana Hernandez hit the mark with Macy's
for her chain detail ruffle hem tulip dress. New York City-based
designer Hunter Bell made a triumphant return to Saks Fifth Avenue
with her maxi dress, but designs by fellow team members David Appel,
Tori Nichel and JesseRay Vasquez/Garrett Gerson were not purchased.
In the end, designer Bret Young went home.

Amber
Perley's
mod flare dress was purchased in both orange/blue and chalk/black
versions, and will retail for $69.90.

The
winning fashions are immediately available online once the retailer
makes a bid. "Fashion Star" airs Fridays at 8 p.m.

Hosted
by fashion journalist Louise Roe and featuring celebrity mentors
Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos, "Fashion Star"
gives 12 designers the chance to win a multimillion dollar prize of
launching their original collections in three of the nation's
largest fashion retailers: Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Express.